April 14, 2026: Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin outside Government buildings in Dublin. RollingNews.ie

Micheál Martin, Ireland's Taoiseach and leader of Fianna Fáil, said on Thursday that he does not feel his leadership is under threat following last week's fuel protests and the subsequent confidence vote, which the Government ultimately survived.

"I do not, in any shape or form, feel under threat," the Taoiseach said during a press conference alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin on Thursday when asked if he felt his leadership was under threat.

"I do acknowledge the extraordinary pressure on families and people across the country in terms of the impact of rising oil prices as a result of the war in the Middle East."

The Taoiseach said that the Government was "faced with a significant dilemma last week in terms of vital critical infrastructure being blockaded." He said the Government had an "obligation" to the people and to the state, adding that if the refinery had stopped refining, it would have done "damage on Ireland" in the context of "what's  happening around the world."

The Taoiseach continued: "Certainly, in terms of language, we can evaluate that, in terms of how people perceived how the Government was approaching that.

"And there were different strands to the protest. There were elements arrived in the latter part of the week that created challenges, as well."

The Taoiseach said that "no one anticipated the nature and scale of the protests and the blockades." He noted that the Government had been in discussions with representative bodies following the first package "in terms of what we could do on a more sustainable basis, particularly in terms of food production and in terms of haulage."

He admitted: "Right across the political system, there would have been real surprise at how this came."

While it has now wound down, there was a widespread fuel protest across Ireland last week, which triggered major traffic disruptions and the blockade of three national fuel depots.

On Sunday, the Government announced a new package of fuel supports, which comes in addition to the €250 million package to reduce energy costs, announced in March.

The Taoiseach and the Government have faced criticism for their response to the protest.

A motion of no confidence was put forth by TD Mary Lou McDonald, head of opposition party Sinn Féin, on Tuesday. It said in part: "public anger grew into protests, further escalated by Government rhetoric and actions, yet even after sustained public pressure, Government has still failed to take the decisive action required to meet the scale of this crisis."

Debating the motion, the Taoiseach argued that actions have been taken, including last month's intervention. He said: "The latest measures go further and are based on detailed discussions with different sectors about their specific needs and they are designed to very directly help protect jobs and keep costs down."

While the motion of no confidence was supported by TDs from other opposition parties Social Democrats, Labour, People Before Profit, Aontu, The Green Party, and Independent Ireland, it was ultimately defeated 92-78.

Had the motion passed, the coalition Government led by Martin's Fianna Fáil party would have been forced to resign.

Still, there is pressure on the Taoiseach. 

On Wednesday, Fianna Fáil's youngest TDs - James O’Connor, Albert Dolan, and Ryan O’Meara - issued a joint letter saying that they view last week's events with "deep concern," adding that they are "deeply worried that the lesson that many of our age will take from recent events is that our politics are not working."

"It should not require protests and deep community frustration to get a government to listen and to act," they wrote.

The trio continued: "Too many of our peers see no connection between what happens at the ballot box and what follows in government. This disconnect threatens public faith in politics and our democracy. Our responsibility, as members of Fianna Fáil and as legislators, is to help rebuild that connection."

They added: "Too often today we find senior colleagues expect us to just explain their government difficulties to our communities. That is not the role we want, nor will we accept it any longer. The policies we back in the Dáil must produce results felt in homes, schools, and workplaces across the country."

On Thursday morning, Fianna Fáil TD John McGuinness said on The Claire Byrne Show: “We need new leadership, quite frankly, and we need a new direction focused on the social issues of our day and based on the old values of the Fianna Fáil party. 

“Which essentially means you listen to the people, you examine their issues and you then try to assist them by way of maybe the budget or some other measures that will support them.

“But you don't leave marginalised and older people cold in their homes because of the cost of heating oil. That would not have happened in the past.”